Circular shaped double-acting spring hinge, especially for doors of furniture



June 14, 1960 A. SALICE 2,940,116

CIRCULAR SHAPED DOUBLE-ACTING SPRING HINGE, ESPECIALLY FOR DOORS OF FURNITURE Filed Feb. 13. 1958 INVENTOR BY flfuw wy ATTORNEYS United States Pfifer i CZRCTHJAR SHAPED DOUBLE-ACTING SPRING HINGE, ES PElIlAllY FUR DOORS F FURNI- TURE Arturo Salice, Via Matteotti 11, Cantu, Italy Filed Feb. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 714,972

Claims priority, application Italy Feb. 22, 1957 4 Claims. (Cl. 16-182) The common doubleacting spring hinges for opening and shutting furniture doors, which may be metallic, wooden or plastic ones, in which a free spring is located, this spring being compressed in a middle position and flying forward towards both opening and closing positions, is placed between the two pieces forming the hinge. These two pieces of the hinge are generally made of two rectangular parts, one of which is in the form of a simple small rectangular plate fixed on one of the two connecting furniture parts, and the other hinge part, also rectangular, jutting outwardly to be fitted in the furniture. This requires an appreciable amount of time to prepare the rectangular shaped mortise for the latter hinge part.

The subject matter of this invention is a hinge of the character described, but of much more simple construction and which makes easier the mortising of the furniture for attachment of the hinge.

The instant hinge is characterized by the fact, that one of its parts consists of a circular plate provided with a cylindrical flange, also of circular form, projecting from one side thereof. Both circular perimeters of plate and flange have an inside tangent point and the centers of both circles are ranged on the common central axis of the hinge. The flange presents a narrowed portion for pivoting the second hinge plate thereto, all members of the hinge necessary for connecting and operating of both parts being located within the inside circle of the flange.

in this manner, the form of the small plate and of the fastening flange permits applying the hinge to Wooden, metallic or plastic furniture by means of circular drill. Two circular drill openings are sufficient: one having a diameter for accommodating the flange and another with a diameter corresponding to the plate carrying the flange.

Fig. 1 represents a plan view of the hinge in open position;

Fig. 2 represents a side elevational view;

Fig. 3 represents a section, according to line lII-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows an analogous view of Fig. l, but from the other side.

According to the drawings, the hinge consists essentially of two pieces 1-2. Piece 1, which may be of any desirable form, but which is here shown as a rectangular plate presenting a central aperture 3 into which penetrates the spring when the hinge is in closing position. it will be applied to the piece of furniture by means of screws passing through the holes 4.

The characteristic part of the hinge is represented by the circular shaped plate 2, provided with holes 5 for fastening it to the outside of the second part of the piece of furniture.

This circular plate 2 is provided with an outwardly projecting cylindrical flange 6 also circular in form. Both circles of the outward plate 2 and of the flange 6 are eccentric, but their centers lay on the middle axis Tlllll of the hinge and they are tangent at the point A of said axis.

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The circular flange 6 presents a narrowed portion 7, ending in two straight parts 7', on which is mounted the pivot 8 passing through the terminal welted dog car 9 of the first plate 1.

The connection between both plates 1 and 2 is made elastic by means of a spring compressed in a middle position, and which expands outwardly from said compressed condition during the opening and closing movements of said hinge. In the present case this is obtained by means of the two cylindrical pieces 11 and 12 tele scopically sliding together, the part 11 being connected through the pivot 14 with the welted part 9 of the plate 1, while the tubular part 12 is fastened through the small rod .15 to the inside of the flange 6. Within both tubular parts 11 and 12 is disposed a helicoidal spring 13, which is so sheltered against outer atmospheric influences, that its inside may be filled with lubricating grease.

Rotating both plates 1 and 2 in the direction of arrow F, in order to bring them from the open position to the closed position, spring 13 will be first compressed, both cups 11 and 12 sliding one on another. After having passed dead center, the spring flies forward and automatically the hinge comes to the closed position. Substantially the same operation of the spring occurs during movement of the hinge from closed to open position.

According to aforesaid description, for applying the hinge in question, is sufllcient that a workman prepares only one mortise, which may be obtained, as already said, by means of two circular drills for forming two circular mortises.

All inside parts of hinge may be located in this circular mortise, i.e. the welted part 9 of the plate 1, the two tubular sliding parts 11 and 12 containing the spring, so that after preparation of the mortise it is sufficient to insert the flange 6 and fasten both plates, fitting the screws in the holes 4 and 5.

The welted part 9, which finds its place in the drilled hollow, remains still at a suflicient distance from the wood, so that it does not interfere with the rotation of both hinge parts.

What I claim is:

1. A double acting spring hinge especially adapted for metallic, wooden and plastic furniture, comprising a pair of plates, one of said plates being circular in form and having a circular flange projecting outwardly from one side thereof, the outer periphery of said flange tangentially touching on a point of the periphery of said circular plate, said circular flange having a reduced portion, means pivoting the second plate to said reduced portion, and a helical spring biased between both said hinge plates, said last named means and said spring being confined within the circular flange.

2. A double-acting spring hinge according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the pivot joining the two hinge plates is fixed to a pair of ears extending outwardly from the reduced portion of the circular flange.

3. A spring double-acting hinge according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the spring is enclosed in a. telescopic element formed by two reciprocally sliding hollow housings, the kinematic system being set so that the spring is fully relaxed both in the hinge and open positions.

4. The double acting hinge spring element of claim 3 characterized by the fact that the two hollow reciprocally sliding housings act as a carrier for the grease.

Streeter May 14, 1889 Borchers et al Dec. 30, 1952 

